This invention deals with stuffing an edible emulsion, usually a sausage emulsion, into an elongated casing, and commonly a natural casing made from the intestines of sheep or other animals. While the term sausage emulsion is used herein, it is understood that any pump-able product is encompassed by that expression.
Sausages have been traditionally made by filling the natural intestines of sheep or other animals, with a meat mixture whereupon the filled natural casing was formed into links for cooking. In more modern times, sausages are predominantly made by introducing an emulsion into an artificial casing, which encases the sausage material through linking and preliminary cooking. Machines for making sausages with artificial casings have a high volume capability (up to 30,000 sausages per hour). Efforts have been made to use these high-speed machines with natural casings. However, because of the nature of the natural casings, modern sausage encasing machines have not achieved the volume and capacity with natural casings as they do with artificial casings.
It is therefore a principal object of this invention to provide a controlled follower for a sausage making machine that will effectively control the movement of a natural casing along and off of a stuffing tube as the casing is being filled with emulsion from the discharge end of the stuffing tube.
These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.
A controlled follower on a stuffing tube engages and causes a natural casing thereon to be longitudinally moved toward the discharge end of a stuffing tube to be filled with emulsion, twisted and formed into links. The follower is controlled by a sensor, in conjunction with a controller, and in instances, influenced by a sensor, to have a controlled movement of the casing along the stuffing tube.